Beginner Guide
Learn the extraction loop, essential controls, and the safest route through your first descent.
How the Extraction Loop Works
Descend through the cursed elevator, break the environment for Scrap, collect Gold and Artifacts, then power the elevator and return alive. A small extraction always beats a rich run that ends in the dark.
Your First Descent
- Buy only the tools you can afford to lose. A basic mallet is enough for early Scrap runs.
- Read the elevator symbols before the doors open. They hint at threats, loot, and unusual encounters below.
- Find the elevator again before you start taking risks. A compass is valuable because every layer can shift.
- Feed the required Gold into the elevator before activating the wrecker. The noise calls the Corrupted to your position.
Spark and Vessel Survival
Your wooden puppet is a replaceable vessel. When it shatters or burns, your living Spark escapes. Stay calm, identify a usable body, and possess it before your Spark fades.
Do not treat Spark form as invulnerability. Scout spare vessels while your current body is still intact, especially before crossing fire or entering a crowded room.
Fire, Rot, and the Environment
Everything in the wasteland can burn, including you. Fire can spread across a retreat path and turn a safe corridor into a trap. Rot is different: it clouds your senses, slows movement, and becomes dangerous at high buildup.
Direct sunlight clears Rot, but it also damages wooden vessels. Step into the light only when you have enough health and a clear route back to cover.
Building a Stronger Outpost
Loot has value only when it improves the next run. Repair damaged rooms, place constructs that grant useful experience, and prioritize the upgrade linked to your repeated failure point.
- Upgrade vigor when fragile bodies end runs early.
- Upgrade stamina when escapes fail just short of the elevator.
- Improve Murch's shop when basic tools no longer match the layer difficulty.
- Store valuable equipment before a dedicated Scrap run.
Co-op Roles That Work
Use simple roles: one player scouts and marks the elevator, one gathers and operates the wrecker, and the others watch approaches or help carry valuables. Everyone should call out fire, Rot, and spare vessels.
When a teammate becomes a Spark, survival takes priority over loot. Guide them toward a vessel and keep the route clear. A recovered teammate is worth more than one extra object on the wrecker.
Beginner FAQ
Should I keep looting after the elevator is powered?
Only if the team is healthy and knows the exit route. Greed is most dangerous after you already have enough to leave.
What happens if I die in the Deep Layers?
You lose the run's carried resources and return to the shelter. Deep Layer progression can also reset, so consistent extraction is more valuable than occasional huge hauls.
What should I upgrade first?
Choose the room that solves your most common failure. Health and stamina are safe early priorities; shop quality becomes stronger when deeper layers demand better tools.
Is solo play viable?
Yes, but you must do every job yourself. Keep the elevator route simple, extract earlier, and avoid carrying rare tools into experimental runs.
Ready for the Deep Layers?
Browse every survival guide or review the outpost progression path before your next descent.
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